


little wrona

by faketyran



Series: Ari's Collection [2]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Addiction, Anger, Angst, Corvan Avvem belongs to simply-psychotic on tumblr btw, Depression, Don’t copy to another site, Guilt, I'm still very bad at writing, M/M, Mild Sex Addiction, Multi, Original Guardian OC, Past Relationships, Shame, alcohol mention, and one is there at the very end so technically only 2, but hey it's fine, drug mention, fun fact only 3 of the boys I tagged actually show up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-14 06:36:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17503493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faketyran/pseuds/faketyran
Summary: Ari's life was easier before the Red War.





	little wrona

Ari knew he was bad at remembering things, so he always took the necessary steps to make sure he remembered them. He'd write on his hand with a marker, write on sticky notes and stick them on the kitchen fridge, or even have his Ghost, Epsilon, set reminders for him. Even with the extra reminders, he still managed to forget things. He'd forget the time he went to bed the night before, he'd forget to buy something while out shopping, or he'd forget to bring something with him when he went out on a scouting mission. He never seemed to fail at that.

The thing he could never seem to forget, however, was his unhealthy coping mechanisms. Of course, the Red War led to those coping mechanisms resurfacing.

When the Red War began, he'd lost Colton and Corvan. Ari himself had been out, roaming the City alone for once. The Hunter had been in a mood to buy something for his then-boyfriends, having completed enough bounties in the past week to buy both of them several custom ships apiece. But, he'd gone out to some shops instead. He'd shifted through clothes stores and other various places, unable to find anything he wanted to buy them. Something had been itching away at the back of his mind for most of the day as well, but he had been unable to figure out just what it was.

To distract himself, he'd found a cafe to sit and relax at. He'd bought himself a snack and a drink, opting to sit out in the warm sun. The Hunter had sat for quite some time, watching and listening to people pass. Ari had debated on whether or not he should have called Corvan about the feeling he had, opting to simply have his Ghost send the other Hunter, along with the Titan, a message. He didn't tell them about the growing dread in his stomach or the way the hair on the back of his neck had began to stand up. Instead, he just sent both of them a simple "I love you" before he returned to his browsing of the shops.

When his Light had begun to dissipate, he thought he had just been running low on energy from running around all day. Unlike many Guardians, who just had their Light vanish entirely, Ari's had seemed to slowly trickle out of him as he had walked home. He'd just thought the walking and milling around had finally caught up to him. But when he nearly collapsed on the steps that led towards the Tower, Ari knew something was wrong. The Hunter had managed to sit himself on the steps as the Light completely vanished from his body. For a split second he was grateful he hadn't bought anything; no extra weight to carry home. His mind returned to the feeling of his limbs -- they were no longer warm and light. They were cold and heavy and he was unable to lift his arms up, all his strength being devoted to keep his body upright and his head up. The world swayed around him and he couldn't breathe or move. A ringing in his ears grew and he winced, wishing he hadn't had his Ghost fix his hearing completely for a split second.

"Epsilon--" He wheezed and sputtered as the Light completely vanished from his system. It took him a moment to register the fact that his Ghost hadn't appeared, but when he did, his skin crawled.

If you had asked Ari to recall what had happened after that, he wouldn't have been able to tell you all that well.

He'd remembered a loud crash, gunshots, and then...guilt. He hadn't been able to protect anyone, he had remembered that much. Everything had gone wrong, he hadn't had a gun, he had looked the Cabal in the eyes and then --

And then?

He truly couldn't remember. All he really remembered was screaming and then...he wasn't in the City anymore. He was farther out, deep in the woods. The Hunter wasn't sure how he had gotten there. Somehow, his Ghost was there, alive. Barely there, but still alive and speaking, if only in bits and pieces. The Ghost only had wisps of Light, enough to heal Ari. Somehow, the Hunter had managed to break a rib and puncture his right lung. He hadn't remembered how long it'd been since he'd done it -- all he remembered was being grateful the Ghost was alive and could heal him.

After some time, his days in the woods merged together. He hadn't kept track how long he had stayed in the snow-covered wood. Ari didn't have the time to. He was more concerned about finding an exit and food, as scarce as it was. Of course, it wasn't that easy. Sometimes he'd go a couple days without eating, barely having energy to continue his search. A part of him told him that it was all hopeless, that he wasn't going to find a way out and he would die in those woods. Another part of him begged him to fight on, to try and find a way out, if not for him, for Colton and Corvan.

The day he found the edge of the woods was the day he let himself have some hope.

Of course, the hardest part after that was getting to the Farm. His Ghost had managed to pick up the broadcast, but it was so far that Ari wasn't sure he'd make it in his starved state. It was a day and a half long trip. He'd figured he might make it if he covered enough distance during the day. Traveling at night was dangerous and his scraps of armor weren't enough to protect him from a punch. So the Hunter pushed himself. He forced himself to walk as long as he could, only stopping when he collapsed to the ground. Even then, he crawled as much as he could.

Colton and Corvan weren't at the Farm when he arrived.

Some of his hope had died when he realized that his boyfriends weren't there. Ari felt like a fool. Why would he think they'd be there? With his own luck, they were most likely dead. Even then, Ari kept a shred of hope for himself. It was just a shred of hope, but it was enough to keep him kicking. The Farm, thankfully, gave him plenty to do. He was able to eat properly and get new armor for himself. He didn't care much for Hawthorne; she seemed too...angry at times. He knew she respected Guardians, however, her attempts to guilt him for being a Guardian that hadn't been trapped in the City only pissed him off. Despite this, he'd stayed for a few weeks. The Hunter really hadn't much to do, nor was he in a rush to do anything. Ari was pleased when Hawthorne finally found something for him to do in the EDZ, relieved to have something to occupy himself.

Except, the EDZ trip hadn't gone quite as planned. Yes, he spoke to Devrim -- who, Ari couldn't stop blushing about, despite his lack of interest in older men -- and he did what he was told (pick off some Captain that was rumored to be wandering around), as usual. When he was done, he had taken off his helmet, if only for a moment. He needed a moment to breathe, that was all. The few weeks with nothing to do or anyone to talk to had left him feeling...empty. His depression had slowly wrapped itself around his mind again. While he'd been finishing off the Captain, he had decided taking up drinking again wasn't such a bad idea. Or even getting high, that was an option as well. There wasn't exactly anyone to stop him at that point.

But before he knew it he he was on his back, a hand around his throat. A wave of panic washed over him, only to dissipate once he realized the grip wasn't as tight as he originally though.

"Well, well, isn't this a bit dangerous?"

An unhealthy coping mechanism had sneaked up on him. 

"Erin, get the _fuck_ off of me." Ari growled out.

"C'mon, Ari, you know you like it when I'm on top." The other Hunter smirked down at him before getting off of him and helping him to his feet.

"Go fuck yourself, Erin."

"Do it yourself."

Ari shot a glare at him, pulling his helmet back on to cover the growing blush on his face. Forgetting what the two of them had done years ago was easier said than done. Ari thought he'd forgotten about him, but it seemed that he hadn't in the slightest. 

"What, cat got your tongue?" Erin teased him.

"What, still can't keep your dick in your pants?" Ari shot back. Erin just grinned back at Ari.

"C'mon, little  _wrona_ , aren't you excited to see me?"

Ari almost bristled at his words, giving the Hunter the finger. At the moments, his feeling were mixed about Erin. On one hand, there was still Colton and Corvan. On the other hand, Ari knew alcohol and drugs wouldn't help him cope like Erin would. Erin was safer than drinking and getting high every, too. He was still dangerous, though; Ari knew that once he'd started, he'd be addicted to the Hunter again. _It's better than getting high and drinking yourself to sleep._ Ari thought to himself. And unlike Erin, he had to pay for both of those. Not to mention, there wasn't the guarantee he'd have total control over himself while on them. He could've ended up killing himself on accident.

His boyfriends wouldn't have to know.

"Shut the fuck up and take me to your place."

Ari wanted to feel guilty. He did. He wanted to feel guilty when Erin slid into him. He wanted to feel guilty when Erin was down on his knees in front of him. He wanted to feel ashamed, guilty, angry, anything. But he couldn't. Instead he felt...occupied. Distracted. The almost daily sex was an escape from reality. Ari never had to think about the possibility of his boyfriends being dead, never had to think about the war he should have been fighting in. He didn't have to think, period. And because he didn't have to think, Ari didn't think about _anything._  Not his name, where he was, what day it was...nothing. All that mattered was how often he could get high off of Erin's body.

"You're quiet."

Ari's eyes snapped to the other's gray eyes. It'd been a solid two weeks since the other Hunter had found him. Erin looked...concerned. A bit uncertain. That was completely out of character. Ari shrugged a little, "Yeah, I know."

"You usually like...y'know, cuddling up to me. I'll admit, I actually kind of like it.." The other trailed off, a frown now on his lips. He reached out, trying to caress his face. Ari just turned away from the touch, shame flaring inside of him. God, how he hated when they were done. He'd get his feelings back for a while, feelings he didn't want to face. The feelings that made him miss Corvan and Colton, the feelings that made him guilty for hiding away, the feelings that made him ashamed, the feelings that made him, well, _feel_. He didn't want any of them, good or bad, and he sure as hell didn't want them for _Erin_.

" _Don't_ , Erin. We've talked about this before. No matter how much we fuck, we are never dating. We both know we're--"

"Don't lie about us not being compatible, Ari. Stop telling yourself that. You know it's only because you have Colton and whoever the _hell_ that new guy is. I mean, really? How low of you find someone that's _like_ me instead of actually coming to me--"

"You know it's because Colton doesn't fucking trust you!" Ari shouted. Arc practically sparked in his eyes as anger welled up inside him. "Unlike Corvan, you left me when I needed you the most! When Colton was taken by the Vex, you vanished! You cut off all communication with me and--"

"Ari."

Ari stopped at his tone. Erin's expression was serious, even anxious. Ari was almost entirely sure it was an act, something to guilt him. Erin didn't care about him like Corvan did -- Erin was there for sex, for his body. He didn't want to deal with the emotions, nor did he care about them.

"I...I can't tell you why I disappeared. But I want...I want you to know I'm sorry, okay? I...I didn't know, really, I swear. I didn't know that you suffered so much while I was gone, since...since you seemed so happy when I checked on you again."

 _When you checked on me? You mean when you were spying on me?_ Ari shook his head. "Whatever, Erin. We're...we're never going to be in a relationship. You're too slippery and dangerous."

"Is that why you've been sleeping with me?"

"Just shut up and go the fuck to bed." he snarled in response.

"...I know you don't have anywhere to stay, so I'd highly suggest you be a bit nicer to me before I kick you out."

Ari stared hard at him for a few moments. A sudden twinge of guilt him as he realized how similar Corvan and Erin were. They were both cocky with smirks constantly on their faces. They were both smaller than Ari and were a bit more nimble than him. Both of them were terribly handsome to him; both of them had lured him in with their looks. The similarities began pilling up in his mind and Ari had to force himself to turn away from Erin. The only difference between them was that Ari had fallen in love with Corvan and had began to resent Erin. "You won't kick me out, Erin. You've got my ass to fuck and my body to keep your bed warm again. Don't try to use empty threats on me."

Erin grimaced at his words but kept silent, opting to turn away from Ari and fall asleep.

The next morning, Ari had left Erin's place. It was just on the outside of Fallen territory, hardly safe enough to be living there. But, shelter was shelter; he couldn't complain. What he would complain about, however, was how far it was away from Devrim. As short of the time the two had spoken, Ari had felt like they had formed a friendship of sorts. Then again, it could have just been Devrim's personality. But Ari didn't think about that as he dipped and weaved between the various buildings and structures to avoid Fallen. After what had happened with Erin, he wasn't exactly in the mood to fight.

It wasn't until an hour later that he'd finally come to the edges of the Trostland, a bit tired out from making sure he wasn't seen by any enemies. He eventually made his way towards the church Devrim occupied, his mind buzzing with noise. He couldn't leave Erin, not now, not when he was so desperate for relief, so desperate for human contact. It wasn't safe; Ari was so unstable when he was alone. The Hunter had been so absorbed in his own thoughts he hadn't realize he'd practically ran into a Warlock.

"Hey, hey, watch where you're going, man!"

Ari froze in place at the voice, looking up at the Warlock. Their voice, the way they held themselves, and the way they seemed to glare from under their helmet, it was all too familiar to him. It couldn't have been anyone else.

"Adrian?"


End file.
